Historiska & politiska biografier

"From underground soldiers to intrepid spies, Women of War unearths the hidden history of the brave women who risked their lives to overthrow the Nazi occupation and liberate Italy. Using primary sources and brand new scholarship, historian Suzanne Cope illuminates the roles played by women while Italians struggled under dual foes: Nazi invaders and Italian fascist loyalists. Cope's research and storytelling introduces four brave and resourceful women who risked everything to overthrow the Nazi occupation and pry their future from the fascist grasp. We meet Carla Capponi in Rome, where she made bombs in an underground bunker then ferried them to their deadly destination wearing lipstick and a trenchcoat; and Bianca Guidetti Serra who rode her bicycle up switchbacks in the Alps, dodging bullets while delivering bags of clandestine newspapers and munitions to the anti-fascist armies hidden in the mountains. In Florence, the young future author of Italy's new constitution, Teresa Mattei, carried secret messages and hid bombs; while Anita Malavasi led troops across the Apennine Mountains. Women of War brings their experiences as underground resistance fighters, partisan combatants, spies, and saboteurs to life. Essential and original, Women of War offers not only a reexamination of the elision of women from vital WWII history but also a valuable perspective on the ongoing fight for gender equality and social justice. After all, these were the women who launched a feminist movement as they fought for the future of their country, and what that could mean for its women, all while under Nazi and fascist fire"--

A history of England's most infamous king, Richard III, the last of the Plantagenets. With a new introduction from bestselling author Dan Jones.

Based on previously unpublished documents, this book traces the life in Paris of Countess Olga von Hohenfelsen, later known as Princess Paley, the morganatic wife of Grand Duke Paul of Russia, uncle of the last emperor Nicholas II.While immersing the reader in the world of Marcel Proust (most of Princess Paley's social contacts had fed the writer's imagination), the book explores the couple's day-to-day life, highlighting their relationships with leading suppliers such as couturiers Worth and Paquin and the jeweler Cartier. It also provides an overview of the Parisian art market, and studies the development of the couple's successive residences from Paris to St. Petersburg. For a time in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the significant collection and the palace built to house it were shown to the public as the Museum of French Art and History. Dispersed during the 1920s by the Soviet authorities, the collection is studied as a whole here for the first time.First published in French in 2018, this updated English version includes an additional chapter on Princess Natalie Paley, the couple's youngest child. She continued her family's legacy of contributing to culture and the arts well into the twentieth century while living in Paris and the United States, where she was a muse to writers, designers, photographers, and artists.

Over two centuries have passed since his death on 4 May 1799, yet Tipu Sultan's contested legacy continues to perplex India and her contemporary politics. A fascinating and enigmatic figure in India's military past, he remains a modern historian's biggest puzzle as he simultaneously means different things to different people, depending on how one chooses to look at his life and its events. Tipu's ascent to power was accidental. His father Haidar Ali was a beneficiary of the benevolence of the Maharaja of Mysore. But in a series of fascinating events, the Machiavellian Haidar ran with the hare and hunted with the hounds; he ended up overthrowing his own benefactor and usurping the throne of Mysore from the Wodeyars in 1761. In a war-scarred life, father and son led Mysore through four momentous battles against the British, termed the Anglo-Mysore Wars. The first two, led by Haidar, brought the English East India Company to its knees. Chasing the enemy to the very gates of Madras, Haidar made the British sign such humiliating terms of treaties that sent shockwaves back in London. In the hubris of this success, Tipu obtained the kingdom on a platter, unlike his father, who worked up the ranks to achieve glory. In a diabolical war thirst, Tipu launched lethal attacks on Malabar, Mangalore, Travancore, Coorg, and left behind a trail of death, destruction and worse, mass-conversions and the desecration of religious places of worship. While he was an astute administrator and a brave soldier, the strategic tact with opponents and the diplomatic balance that Haidar had sought to maintain with the Hindu majority were both dangerously upset by Tipu's foolhardiness on matters of faith. The social report card of this eighteenth-century ruler was anything but clean. And yet, one simply cannot deny his position as a renowned military warrior and one of the most powerful rulers of Southern India. Meticulously researched, authoritative and unputdownable, Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore's Interregnum (1760-1799) opens a window to the life and times of one of the most debated figures from India's history.

A chronological account of the life and career of Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, who rose to be British India's Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh and of Burma. The work also serves as a means to assess British intentions towards India at a critical time with the brewing of Indian nationalism.

A TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARWhen everyday life becomes a state of emergency, how can yesterday's words suffice?'We were so happy and didn't know it...'A thirty-three-year-old writer lives in a quiet European suburb with his wife and his dog. His parents have bought an apartment nearby. On weekends they go out for brunch, cook and see friends. Life is good; it is normal. Then the invaders come.The Language of War is about what happens when your world changes overnight. When you wake up to the sound of helicopters and the smell of gunpowder. When your home is hit by shells or broken into by gunmen, and you spend another night in a basement-turned-bomb shelter. When, even though you've never held a weapon before, you realise the only choice is to fight back. It is about things one can never forget, or forgive.Bringing together Oleksandr Mykhed's vivid day-by-day chronicles of the invasion of Ukraine with a chorus of other voices - his family, friends in exile, those who have fought and have witnessed unimaginable atrocities - this book is both a record, and a reckoning. Haunting and timeless, it asks how it is possible to find the words to describe a new reality; how you can still make sense of the world when the only language you can speak is the language of war.

The brilliant new memoir by one of the last great statesmen, aman who has towered over British politics for more than fifty years.

First Published in 1961 A Philosopher's Pilgrimage is a plain-spoken autobiography of Alban G. Widgery. This is the record of the life of a philosopher who never allowed concern with ideas to distract him from the richness of experiences.

James VI & I, who died 400 years ago this year, was one of the most consequential and most interesting of all British monarchs, not least in creating the British monarchy itself through the joining of the English and Scottish thrones. A major intellectual, a religious and constitutional thinker, an expert on witchcraft, James was also obsessed with hunting, building, diplomacy, poetry and fashion. His reign encompassed extraordinary dramas - such as the Gunpowder Plot - and powerful creative moments, from Shakespeare's later plays to the great translation of the Bible commissioned by James. He was also deeply involved in the new colonial 'plantations' of Ulster and Virginia, with its capital of Jamestown. Clare Jackson's wonderful new book tells the story of this highly unusual monarch with great flair and insight. Jackson raises fascinating questions about the nature of rule, the making of culture and a period of in which political, economic and ecological changes were tipping much of Europe into disaster.

A Hero Returns to a Young Country in Turmoil. A story about the promise in the Declaration of Independence, about revolution, in America and elsewhere, about journeys up and down great rivers, and through wilds. It is a story of memory and union. Above all else it is a story of the American people.

Faith of the Fathers provides a captivating collective biography of the Catholic priests who served in America's most deadly war.Faith of the Fathers brings to light the forgotten stories of courageous chaplains whose commitments to faith and to men at war during America's most divisive conflict have long been overlooked. The Reverend Robert J. Miller provides a comprehensive and compelling portrait of the 126 priest-chaplains who served during the Civil War and reflects on the importance of religion and faith in nineteenth-century America. As a culture of death and horror raged around them, Catholic priest-chaplains met the needs of soldiers and officers alike, providing years of faithful and dedicated service in hospitals, prisons, battlefields, and camps.Whether ministering to Union or Confederate soldiers (or both), in eastern or western theaters, in battle or camp, these priests risked their lives to bring faith and hope to one of the darkest and most devastating periods of American history.

Translation of: Baltische ziele: lotgevallen in Estland, Letland en Litouwen

The Complete Book of US Presidents is rich with photos and short biographical essays about the social, cultural, and political lives of 47 United States presidents, as well as some of the quirks and oddities from the Oval Office.

When John Kgoana Nkadimeng travelled from Sekhukhuneland to the Witwatersrand in 1944, he was one of thousands of migrants seeking work in town.

How Mayor Ray Flynn's leadership and a coalition of activists transformed Boston, challenging established powers and setting new precedents for urban governance.The Battle for Boston captures the remarkable era under Mayor Ray Flynn, whose election in 1983 marked the beginning of a profound shift in the city's political and social landscape. Don Gillis, a Flynn senior advisor, chronicles the inspiring journey of a city that dared to challenge the entrenched power brokers-including developers, landlords, and banking industry leaders-through powerful grassroots campaigns.Gillis provides a vivid portrayal of the political dynamics and the coalition of community organizers, neighborhood leaders, and residents that played a pivotal role in rejecting the business-backed growth machine and the city's historically divisive racial politics. This book charts the strategic battles fought within the corridors of power and on the streets and highlights the substantial impact these movements had on the city's governance and power dynamics.In a historic turn, in 2021, Michelle Wu became the first woman, person of color, and Asian-American elected Mayor of Boston. Wu's victory on a similarly progressive platform as Flynn underscores the enduring relevance of his legacy, signaling a hopeful future for more inclusive and effectively governed cities.The Battle for Boston poses a critical inquiry: Can cities truly embrace progressivism and govern effectively in the 21st century? This qualitative narrative study is a testament to the possibility of such governance, driven by the indomitable spirit of those who strive for a fair and equitable society.